Kansas Returns Home to Host #5 Longhorns

Sept. 15, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Kansas volleyball (7-3, 0-1 Big 12) returns to the friendly confines of the Horejsi Family Athletics Center to host No. 5 Texas (6-2, 1-0) Saturday at 7 p.m. The Jayhawks are looking for their first league win of the season after losing their Big 12 opener to No. 1 Nebraska while Texas claimed a 3-0 victory over Texas Tech in Austin Wednesday night. Fans in attendance will receive a complimentary Jayhawk rally towel. Live Gametracker and video web streaming, a recap and box score for the match can be found on KUathletics.com, the official website of Kansas Athletics.

About the Jayhawks
Kansas is looking for its first Big 12 victory of the season after a 3-0 loss to the top-ranked Huskers Wednesday night. The Jayhawks (7-3, 0-1), receiving votes in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 poll, are averaging 16.80 kills and 15.40 assists per game, good for fourth in the Big 12. Senior outside hitter Jana Correa paces a balanced KU offense with 3.83 kills per game and led all hitters with 14 kills at No. 1 Nebraska Wednesday. Junior right side hitter/setter Emily Brown (3.80 kpg), a threat in all six rotations, and sophomore Savannah Noyes (3.40 kpg) round out the top KU hitters. Redshirt freshman setter Katie Martincich averages 11.29 assists per game — good for eighth in the league. KU’s deep defense features senior libero Jamie Mathewson (3.94 dpg/eighth in the Big 12) and four Jayhawks who average 2.21 or more digs per game. KU also gets a boost from freshmen Melissa Grieb (defensive specialist) and Brittany Williams (middle blocker), who replaced injured Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Natalie Uhart in the starting lineup.

Scouting #5 Texas
Texas (6-2, 1-0) moved up to No. 5 in Monday’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 poll after sweeping No. 4 Santa Clara and dropping a tough 3-2 decision to No. 2 Penn State last week. The Longhorns are coming off a 3-0 win over Texas Tech Wednesday night in Austin to open Big 12 play. UT ranks second in the league behind Nebraska with 16.97 kills per game and third in digs (16.58 dpg). Senior outside hitter Dariam Acevedo ranks third in the Big 12 with 4.55 kills per game and freshman outside hitter Ashley Engle adds 3.23 kpg and 2.95 digs per game. Two other true freshman are playing significant roles for the Longhorns with defensive specialist Heather Kisner starting all eight matches and outside hitter Destinee Hooker logging time in 29 of the Horns 31 games this season.

Kansas vs. Texas
Texas leads the all-time series against KU, 19-4, and has won the last four meetings between the teams. The Jayhawks’ last victory over the `Horns came on Nov. 8, 2003 in a five-game thriller in Austin.

There’s No Place Like Home
The Jayhawks have had much success at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center over the last eight seasons. KU carries a 69-38 (.645) all-time record in Horejsi, including a 2-1 mark in 2006 and 10-6 home record in 2005. KU is 6-1 in Big 12 home openers since the 1999 season, which marked its first year playing in Horejsi.

Match Notes in PDF Format
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